14 September 2011

This certainly applies to the arms race going on in our neighborhood -- the proliferation of "Free-standing ERs," which provide high cost, luxury-themed care to wealthy communities which were previously well-served by existing facilities.

Nice places to get care, if you can access/afford them, but a short-sighted and improvident way to spend limited health care dollars.

2 comments:

Exactly the point: when it's government dollars (other people's money) then it gets spent wastefully with ill-considered schemes like this. Government control creates artificial shortages and drives up cost. Let the market decide, and you will naturally balance availability with need, and natural competition will keep costs down and provide the best service to the consumer.

The question of universal healthcare revolves around whether we as a society can afford to not take care of the less privileged. The problem is that with government sponsored health care the only thing that increases is cost. The rich still get the best care, the underprivileged still get care that sucks, and the general public gets fleeced. The market will rule, no matter how much you wish it wouldn't.

You seem a little unclear on the point, though I admit that the cartoon elides over some details. Hospitals are almost exclusively built with private money these days. There are exceptions (the rebuild of Parkland comes to mind) but overall, it's shareholders money which is being wasted.

To the degree politicians are culpable, it's usually limited to over-ruling certificate of need regulations or creating ill-advised tax incentives.

Shadowfax

About me: I am an ER physician and administrator living in the Pacific Northwest. I live with my wife and four kids. Various other interests include Shorin-ryu karate, general aviation, Irish music, Apple computers, and progressive politics. My kids do their best to ensure that I have little time to pursue these hobbies.

Disclaimer

This blog is for general discussion, education, entertainment and amusement. Nothing written here constitutes medical advice nor are any hypothetical cases discussed intended to be construed as medical advice. Please do not contact me with specific medical questions or concerns. All clinical cases on this blog are presented for educational or general interest purposes and every attempt has been made to ensure that patient confidentiality and HIPAA are respected. All cases are fictionalized, either in part or in whole, depending on how much I needed to embellish to make it a good story to protect patient privacy.

All Content is Copyright of the author, and reproduction is prohibited without permission.